<< Our Photo Pages >> El Azuzul - Pyramid / Mastaba in Mexico in Veracruz
Submitted by Michelledubois on Wednesday, 05 October 2011 Page Views: 7303
Multi-periodSite Name: El Azuzul Alternative Name: Azuzul Hill, Twin Statutes, El Azuzul PyramidCountry: Mexico Region: Veracruz Type: Pyramid / Mastaba
Nearest Town: San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán Nearest Village: Loma del Zapote Complex
Latitude: 17.691880N Longitude: 94.767171W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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El Azuzul (1100 to 800 BCE) is an Olmec archaeological site in Veracruz, Mexico, a few miles south of the San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán complex. El Azuzul features some of the best archaeological remains in all of Central America, and is considered part of the Loma del Zapote complex. The site occupies the higher elevations north of the confluence of two ancient river courses, a part of the Coatzacoalcos River system. It is upstream of the monumental earthworks at Potrero Nuevo, which is part of the San Lorenzo complex.
El Azuzul is best known for two pairs of monumental sculptures, now on exhibit at the Museo de Antropologia, Xalapa, Mexico. These statues were found on the south side of the large pyramid/hill on the site, intact and apparently undisturbed since they were placed there in Pre-Classic times.
The first pair of statues have been hailed as the masterpieces of Olmec architecture, they are expressive and refined, with a mastery of technical aspects evident in the form and conception of the sculptures.
When discovered the two statues were facing east, one behind the other. Some researchers have suggested that these "twins" are forerunners of the Maya Hero Twins from the Popul Vuh, although their headdresses have led others to describe them as priests. The twin's headdresses have been mutilated, probably to erase identifying insignia.
Each twin is grasping a ceremonial bar with his right hand under the bar and his left over, caught in the act of raising what has been described as an axis mundi or Mesoamerican world tree.
Facing these two humans were two feline-like statue, generally identified as jaguars. Slightly larger than the humans they faced, the felines are roughly 1.2 meters high. A 1.6 meter version of this feline was found a few feet away to the northeast. The jaguars show evidence of having been recarved from earlier monuments.
In addition to the large pyramid/hill, a long causeway or dike was constructed along the waterway, possibly functioning as a levee and/or wharf. El Azuzul also contains other possible structures, now completely overgrown.
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